Dr. Phil Gives His Wife The Most Unexpected Of Surprises

JJ Foster 8/8/2018

Surprise, Surprise

After being married for the good part of four decades, Robin had been known to shake things up. A mainstay in Dr. Phil’s show, she was always around to pop up with a funny side from time to time. But now, Phil wanted to catch her off guard. Fans knew too well that Robin had a cunning side to her. Now was the opportunity for Phil to copy her pranking skills and give her a taste of her own medicine…

Surprise, Surprise

It’s Payback Time

The moment came, and Robin was completely shocked. Phil, in the middle of his own show, addressed the crowd and started speaking: “My wife, Robin, is always the one who surprises me, but today, I’m finally getting her!” The crowd gasped and so did Robin. As he looked at her naughtily, everyone realized what was about to go down. The tables were turning, and there was nothing Robin could do about it. But what did Phil have up his sleeve?

It’s Payback Time

One Classy Lady

This couple sure knows how to have some fun together. Over the years, Robin has been known to prank Phil from time to time. Despite being ranked as the 15th highest earning celebrity on the planet, Phil still seems to know how to have a good time and show his silly side. Robin never loses her dignity in the process of pranking her husband. But Phil was finally ready to surprise Robin in a way he never had before…

One Classy Lady

The Biggest Mistake He Made

Although they are admired by millions today, Robin and Phil weren’t always such a beloved couple. In fact, the doctor has actually been married more than once in his life. The man behind the catchphrase, “get real,” previously tied the knot with Debbie Higgins McCall. It seems like whatever tricks he had up his sleeve, Robin would see the funny side of it. Debbie, however, can confirm that married life with Phil didn’t run so smoothly…

The Biggest Mistake He Made

A Woman’s Role

Back in 1970, when Phil was only 20 years of age, he met the woman who he would marry first – Debbie. At first, Phil was head over heels for the former cheerleader and homecoming queen. But it wouldn’t take long before things started to go wrong. Years after the two parted ways, Debbie revealed that her ex-husband told her how to dress and even behave. Also, he apparently forced her to work out and lift weights so that she maintained her shape.

A Woman’s Role

Robin To The Rescue

While Phil and Debbie were having their marriage annulled in the early 70’s, he started dating Robin Jo Jameson. After three years of dating, the couple tied the knot and before the end of the decade, they were expecting their first child, Jay. Seven years later, Robin had another boy by the name of Jordan. Phil knows better than anyone how close Robin holds her family to her heart. But many would be surprised to know that he also feels this way…

Robin To The Rescue

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Phil’s close bond with his family runs so deep that at his son’s wedding, he was his best man. Jay McGraw tied the knot with Erica Dahm, one of the Playboy Playmate triplets and his dad wasn’t going to miss the ceremony for the world. Of course, Phil had a big part to play in the wedding plans and hosted the celebrations at his Beverly Hills home. But Robin was conjuring up ways to surprise him…

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

“It’s Twelve O’Clock!”

But first, let’s take a step back and start with Robin’s act of mischief. Backstage, she showed Phil something that he had no way of anticipating. When the clock struck 12, she showed him something amazing. “It’s twelve o’clock, I have something I need to show you!” she said. Then she pulled out her laptop and showed him her Facebook profile. Then, in a completely unexpected move, she showed him a surprise video she had prepared in advance…

“It’s Twelve O’Clock!”

Admiring His Queen

“I actually thought of this about nine days ago,” Robin said, after being asked when she thought of such a great idea. The video showed her painting different shades of red on a big canvas and she wrote sweet words directed at her husband. “She has always been the queen of creative,” Phil said. “She created our home, she created our family, and she’s done it all from love.” When all is said and done, there is no denying Robin’s romantic nature.

Admiring His Queen

Life’s Mission

From the very start, Robin was there to support her dear husband Phil. Ever since his first appearance on TV, she has been determined to make his life as exciting and surprising as possible.

Life’s Mission

It’s All In The Details

Robin’s romantic ways have always been something that Dr. Phil has warmed to. The most amazing thing about her surprise video to him was that she wore the same veil that she wore on their wedding day nearly 40 years ago. Robin organized the video so meticulously that every detail she chose was thought long and hard about. In fact, the song she selected to have playing in the background nearly brought her husband to tears…

It’s All In The Details

Falling Hard

Robin chose Ed Sheeran’s hit single “Thinking Out Loud” as the background music for her video, and for a good reason. She cited the lyric “baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23” as the inspiration for the song choice. This is because it reminded her that she also met Phil when she was just 23 years of age. Since meeting her husband, Robin has been interviewed many times and asked how the couple have kept things fresh after all these years…

Falling Hard

Rough Childhood

The truth is that Robin wasn’t always such a fun-loving individual. After growing up in an abusive home and with an alcoholic father, it was a miracle that she rose from such dire circumstances to be the bubbly person she is today. “I lived in uncertainty every day because of it and didn’t like the feeling,” she said. “I made decisions early on that I was going to do everything I could to be in control of myself and my life.”

Rough Childhood

Affecting Her Marriage

Robin knew that the best way to deal with such a troubled past would be to rise above it and create a better future for herself and her loved ones. She learned from her parents’ mistakes and chose to make better decisions. She realized that the time she spent growing up in such turbulent circumstances “taught me compassion and how to have a more accepting and loving spirit.” This always helped her with future relationships, especially with Phil.

Affecting Her Marriage

Secret To Their Marriage

When asked about what their secret is to longevity, Robin simply said that she has a couple of rules that she abides by with Phil. And although there are many critics of her methods, the results show that they are still together and happier than ever. After so many years together and seemingly little problems between the two, Robin opened up and confessed as to why they have stood the test of time after so long…

Secret To Their Marriage

“You’re Lying!”

While many couples believe that fighting is a natural and even a healthy part of life, Robin and Phil decided to do things a little differently. They were not prepared to tackle their relationship in such a way. “People cannot understand when we say we don’t fight,” she said. “They go ‘that’s just not natural, you’re lying! Couples fight.’ … But we don’t.” But still, how did these two human beings prevent each other from starting fights with one another?

“You’re Lying!”

He Knew From The Start

“We don’t fight and it’s because we had a conversation early on and I told him that it’s not natural for me to be in a house where people are screaming and yelling,” Robin said with a big smile. “My parents didn’t do it, I don’t do it and I don’t want to live in a house like that. He got it and has never raised his voice around me. We don’t fight.” It’s an amazing idea.

He Knew From The Start

Tricks Up Her Sleeve

This is rule number one in Robin’s manifesto for a healthy marriage – not fighting. But this first rule means nothing without rule number two. The second principle is all about finding ways to show your significant other how much you love them and support them. Over the years, Robin has found many fun and exciting new ways to please Phil. Some she chose to keep to herself. However, she did have some she chose to reveal to the public.

Tricks Up Her Sleeve

She Keeps The Passion Alive

The first technique was to “always flirt! A piece of advice I’d tell women: learn what your husband considers flirting and learn what makes your husband happy.” When considering this method, Robin thinks about what is the best way to make her husband happy and recommends other people to find their own ways – to work out what makes their spouse happy. In fact, when their first child was born, friends couldn’t believe what she told her husband…

She Keeps The Passion Alive

He Needed To Know

Even when Robin’s first child came into the world in 1979, she had something incredible to say to her husband. She sat Phil down and told him that no matter who comes and goes in their life, that she will always put Phil first. She was asked why she said this to him. “From that moment on, he could say to himself, ‘Oh good, I’m not going to be in second place. She’s not going to forget about our relationship,'” she said.

He Needed To Know

Balance Is Key

However, Robin isn’t only a loving wife and mother. She’s also a businesswoman in her own right. Despite this, she was always determined to find a balance between her business endeavors and the relationships she had with her children and her dear husband, Phil. When asked how she juggled so many important responsibilities, she answered by saying that she always asks Phil “what can I do for you? Tell me what you need from me…I’ll do it.”

Balance Is Key

Marriage Under Attack

Another technique that Robin deemed truly invaluable for a successful marriage was regularly checking in with Phil. To let him know that she’s always taking him into consideration was paramount. “Phillip always needs to know I’m proud of him and he loves to hear that I appreciate him,” she said. But after taking her vow and enjoying such a successful marriage, she admitted that his profession had got in the way from time to time. It was time to take action.

Marriage Under Attack

Sending A Clear Message

The truth was that Phil was constantly a target as far as the media was concerned. This was largely in part to his huge role on his show Dr. Phil. But unlike Robin, he certainly made his fair share of enemies in his time due to his straightforward approach when asked about sensitive issues. In July 2016, the couple decided to do something about the scrutiny and filed a lawsuit against a tabloid magazine for a whopping $250 million.

Sending A Clear Message

Tables Turned

Despite the ups and downs that this larger than life couple has been through, the challenges the McGraws have faced has only made their bond even more unbreakable. It made them stronger and a force to be reckoned with in the world of pop culture. They sued the National Enquirer, citing over a decade of lies spread about their relationship. This forced many other magazines to watch what they said about this power couple. And things started to change considerably after this announcement.

Tables Turned

Don’t Mess With The Press

Soon, the word of Phil and Robin’s legal actions arrived at Buzzfeed, and it was announced that the lawsuit had in fact been dropped. The announcement read, “The lawsuit has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of all the parties. The parties have agreed to make no further comment about the lawsuit or its resolution.” Dr. Phil then got in touch with the Daily Mail and asked the newspaper to publish the statement as well.

Don’t Mess With The Press

Printing Lies

The National Enquirer fiasco demonstrated just how protective Phil and Robin are of each other. When family being falsely accused in the media is concerned, Phil is taking no prisoners and will stop at nothing to seek justice. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he said, “as a member of the media, I have a deep respect for the First Amendment. But it does not protect these people who knowingly print lies for money, particularly lies about my wife.”

Printing Lies

Illegal Scheme

But Robin would, unfortunately, suffer at the hands of the media once again. This time, it was through an advertisement. The ad in question was for a skincare product and was falsely using Robin’s name to endorse it. But she never fully signed off or gave the company permission to use her name. The move was so audacious that she had never even heard of the company. Only after receiving letters from angry fans did she realize what had transpired.

Illegal Scheme

Not Going To Stop

Phil said on his show, “we’re chasing these people, and we’re not going to stop until we find them.” He was determined to make amends. “To hear that there are people out there using our marriage and my name and image to sell lotion and creams that I have absolutely nothing to do with really drives me crazy.” It wasn’t the first time that Robin’s name was connected to a brand. In 2014, she released her own Revelation lifestyle brand.

Not Going To Stop

Severe Burns On Her Face

Beyond Phil, Robin has also had many pains attached to other loved ones in her life. Her sister Cindi Broaddus experienced severe burns to the face and appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil in 2005. It was revealed that a stranger threw sulfuric acid at an overpass only for it to fall on her and a friend while she was driving in Oklahoma. The acid got through the car roof and severely damaged her face.

Severe Burns On Her Face

True Hero

Despite only having a 30 percent chance of survival according to her doctor, Cindi beat the odds stacked against, survived and bounced back to live a very fulfilling life. In an interview with Larry King in 2005, not long after the episode that she starred in, Phil referred to his sister-in-law as a “true hero.” He continued by saying, “it doesn’t surprise me that she has handled this horrible tragedy like she has because she’s always been there for everyone else.”

True Hero

Tough Lover To Softie

Dr. Phil is renowned for showing tough love towards his patients and the people he works with. But when it comes to Robin, he’s completely different. So the TV doctor took to Twitter and tweeted a string of videos in light of their 40th wedding anniversary, along with family photos and emotional music. Attached to the clips was the caption: “40 loving years and counting with the same sweet girl I met at 19!! Here’s to 40 more. I love you, Phillip.”

Tough Lover To Softie

Baggy Shorts And Messy Hair

On the first time he met her: “She had on baggy shorts, and a T-shirt and [her] hair was sticking up everywhere – and she looked like a million bucks to me.” The TV psychologist was in sheer admiration of Robin and knew from day one that she was the one. According to Phil, they are “more than a team.” He also said that “when she cuts her finger, I bleed red; when she rejoices, my heart jumps.”

Baggy Shorts And Messy Hair

Time For A Surprise

Fast forward to a recent Valentine’s Day edition of Dr. Phil. The man with the mustache saw this as the perfect opportunity to “get back” at his mischievous wife after all these years. “I’m finally getting her!” he said, playfully. The audience cheered in elation as Robin walked onto the stage and approached her hubby. Then, after years of waiting, she finally heard the words from Phil that she had been so desperate to hear for so long…

Time For A Surprise

Couldn’t Stop Screaming

“So, as my Valentine’s Day gift to her, I talked to her number one favorite artist and band of all time,” Phil said. The crowd went wild, and Robin was in a sheer state of euphoria. She couldn’t string her words together, barely able to say, “I can’t believe it, I’m in shock.” She couldn’t stop smiling as the crowd got wilder and wilder. Struggling to contain her emotions, she rested her head on her husband’s shoulder.

Couldn’t Stop Screaming

About To Pass Out

Overwhelmed by the excitement, Phil was a little worried that Robin would pass out from the news. She probably felt like she needed someone to pinch her to prove this wasn’t a dream. But Phil just held her tightly as she squealed in elation. As the show’s producers were cueing the surprise entrance, the happy couple waited briefly in anticipation. But finally, the cue filtered through and Phil knew exactly what to say for his next announcement.

About To Pass Out

Who Was It?

“I talked to her number one favorite artist and band of all time to make an impromptu appearance today, just for her,” Phil said. “So without further ado, after ten years of asking, let me introduce the hottest band tearing up the charts from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia.” Before announcing the name of the act, he looked over to both his wife and the audience with a cheeky grin. In that moment, Robin knew exactly who he was referring to…

Who Was It?

Another Surprise Coming

“Let me introduce … our son Jordan and his band Hundred Handed,” Dr. Phil said. The tears instantly started flowing from Robin’s eyes and members of the audience alike. It was their dear son Jordan! For over a decade, Robin was determined to get their son on the show to perform in front of them. But for so long, the producers were against the idea. However, they had a change of heart for Valentine’s Day and gave the couple exactly what they wanted. But wait, there’s more!

Another Surprise Coming

Another Trick Up His Sleeve

The band wowed the crowd with one of their new singles. It was a monumental occasion for them. But something else happened that made this performance even more exhilarating for everyone involved. Another performer joined Jordan and his band on stage. And it was someone really talented and on the rise in the world of music. Phil didn’t just have his son up one sleeve. He had another trick up the other. But who was the other surprise?

Another Trick Up His Sleeve

But Wait – That’s Not All…

So Jordan’s girlfriend Marissa Jack joined the band and performed alongside them. This young lady from Phoenix, Arizona, is a serious talent and many are suggesting big things from her in the future. At the age of 18, Marissa was pursuing her solo music career after moving to L.A. In 2010, she penned a deal with Warner Brothers Records and has already worked with a string of high-profile producers. Now, she’s with Jordan and in a happy relationship.

But Wait – That’s Not All…

Until Next Time

As photos of Robin appeared on the projected screen, Jordan and Marissa performed together with the most beautiful of harmonies. The atmosphere that evening was incredible and the perfect way to celebrate Phil and Robin’s 40th anniversary. In a masterstroke, Phil was able to surprise his wife in the most romantic of ways, while also helping his son Jordan fulfill his dreams. “Did we get her or did we get her? I think we got her!” Phil said joyfully.